An act TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PAID CANVASSERS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas                 As Engrossed: H3/10/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                          A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1574

4

5 By: Representative Vaught

6 By: Senator K. Hammer

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8                            For An Act To Be Entitled

9             AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PAID CANVASSERS;

10            TO REQUIRE DOMICILE IN ARKANSAS; AND FOR OTHER

11            PURPOSES.

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13

14                                  Subtitle

15                       TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PAID

16                       CANVASSERS; AND TO REQUIRE DOMICILE IN

17                       ARKANSAS.

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19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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21      SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 7-9-103(a), concerning residence of

22 canvassers, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows:

23            (7) A person shall not act as a paid canvasser unless he or she

24 is:

25                       (A) A resident of this state; and

26                       (B) Domiciled in the state if acting as a paid canvasser

27 for a statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum petition.

28

29      SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 7-9-103(d), concerning the signing of

30 petitions, is amended to read as follows:

31      (d)(1) A person acting as a sponsor or an agent of a sponsor shall not

32 knowingly hire a person as a paid canvasser who:

33                       (A) Is not a resident of this state; and

34                       (B) Is not domiciled in the state if acting as a paid

35 canvasser for a statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum

36 petition.

    *SSS017*                                                     03-10-2025 11:18:59 SSS017
    As Engrossed: H3/10/25                                                 HB1574

1   (2) A person who fails to comply with subdivision (d)(1) of this

2 section is guilty of a violation and upon conviction shall be fined two

3 thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each paid canvasser hired in

4 violation of subdivision (d)(1) of this section.

5   (e) When the official charged with verifying the signatures has

6 reasonable grounds to believe that one (1) or more signatures on a petition

7 is forged, the official shall report the suspected forgery and basis for

8 suspecting forgery to:

9   (1) The Division of Arkansas State Police, in the case of a

10 statewide petition; or

11  (2) The prosecuting attorney of the county, in the case of a

12 local petition.

13

14  SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. Severability.

15  If any provision of this act or the application of this act to any

16 person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other

17 provisions or applications of this act which can be given effect without the

18 invalid provision or application, and to this end, the provisions of this act

19 are declared severable.

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21 SECTION 4. DO NOT CODIFY. The Supreme Court has interpreted domicile to

22 require "actual residence plus the intent to remain in a particular place".

23 Leathers v. Womack, 341 Ark. 609, 618 (2000). An individual may have only one

24 (1) domicile, and circumstances must present "a bona fide intention of making

25 it a fixed and permanent place of abode". Id. at. 619.

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27                          /s/Vaught

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